Formation of Massive Star Clusters by Fast HI Gas Collision

TL;DR

This study uses 3D magnetohydrodynamics simulations to show that fast HI gas collisions can trigger the formation of young massive star clusters by creating massive, gravitationally bound gas clumps, even in low-metal environments.

Contribution

It demonstrates that fast HI gas collisions can induce the formation of YMC precursors through gravitational collapse, providing a new mechanism for YMC formation in galaxy interactions.

Findings

Massive gas clumps form in shock regions due to HI collisions.

YMC precursors can develop in low-metallicity environments.

Fast HI collisions can produce very massive clusters like R136.

Abstract

Young massive clusters (YMCs) are dense aggregates of young stars, which are essential to galaxy evolution, owing to their ultraviolet radiation, stellar winds, and supernovae. The typical mass and radius of YMCs are M~10^4 M_sun and R~1 pc, respectively, indicating that many stars are located in a small region. The formation of YMC precursor clouds may be difficult because a very compact massive cloud should be formed before stellar feedback blows off the cloud. Recent observational studies suggest that YMCs can be formed as a consequence of the fast HI gas collision with a velocity of ~100 km s^-1, which is the typical velocity of the galaxy-galaxy interaction. In this study, we examine whether the fast HI gas collision triggers YMC formation using three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics simulations, which include the effects of self-gravity, radiative cooling/heating, and chemistry. We demonstrate that massive gravitationally bound gas clumps with M >10^4 M_sun and L~4 pc are formed in the shock compressed region induced by the fast HI gas collision, which massive gas clumps can evolve into YMCs. Our results show that the YMC precursors are formed by the global gravitational collapse of molecular clouds, and YMCs can be formed even in low-metal environments, such as the Magellanic Clouds. Additionally, the very massive YMC precursor cloud, with M >10^5 M_sun, can be created when we consider the fast collision of HI clouds, which may explain the origin of the very massive stellar cluster R136 system in the Large Magellanic Cloud.